Police chiefs apologize for historical mistreatment of minorities

❝ The president of America’s largest police management organization on Monday issued a formal apology to the nation’s minority population “for the actions of the past and the role that our profession has played in society’s historical mistreatment of communities of color.” ❝ Terrence M. Cunningham, the chief of police in Wellesley, Mass., delivered his remarks at the convention in San Diego of…

The president of a group representing tens of thousands of law enforcement officers worldwide is apologizing for historic mistreatment of people of color in the United States.

Terrence Cunningham said at the International Association of Chiefs of Police annual conference Monday in San Diego that police have historically been a face of oppression in enforcing laws that ensure legalized discrimination and denial of basic rights.

Cunningham says past injustices have created mistrust between communities of color and police. He says the group acknowledges and apologizes for those actions, but he also says today's officers are not to blame for the past.

Cunningham, who is also the police chief in Wellesley, Massachusetts, received a standing ovation for his comments.